Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine Waste Management Project

For over a decade the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine (CCVM) shipped its conventional Regulated Medical Waste (cRMW) to an off-site, commercial facility for treatment. In 2010, the CCVM replaced the pathological waste incinerator as well as revised the system they had in place for cRMW disposal by offering onsite treatment to eliminate risk.

The new Waste Management Facility substantially decreases energy consumption. The new system uses less than 20% of the energy than was used by the previous incinerator, which consumed significant volumes of natural gas. Additionally, treatment of hydrolysate wastewater at the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility (IAWWTF) generates methane gas to be used to generate heat and power at the IAWWTF. Anaerobic biological treatment of hydrolysate will maximize energy production. There is an 82% reduction in the energy used in waste treatment, and the CCVM anticipates the facility will reduce consumption over 3 Billion Btu/yr.